Using the 30mm macro

[gert7to3]

Oops, misidentified PER-E01 as an Inon product, it's really an Olympus item.

 

[tursiops]

Ardy,
Congratulations on finally getting back into the water. What a long haul.

I bought an Oly E-PL7 camera and the PT-EP12 housing. This camera has the short 14-42mm EZ lens and the port on the housing is much shorter than the original port on my PT-EP06 housing which I had for the E-PM1 camera. That said, I already have Zen's WA-100 dome which fits the PT-EP12 housing and I will likely use the 14-42mm II lens.

However, I also picked up Oly's 30mm macro lens. The lens is too long to fit under the short 14-42mm EZ lens port. The original Olympus port which came with the PT-EP06 housing is really big and too long for the 30mm Macro lens. However, I noticed that Inon has a PER-E01 extension ring which looks like it would extend the 14-42mm EZ port sufficiently to accommodate the 30mm macro. Has anyone tried this combination?

I've got the 30 behind the 29 port plus the Nauticam 17mm extension. 1mm longer than necessary, I think .

 

[Furnari]

I recently shot the 30 behind the Olympus PPO-EP03 port while on a trip to California's Channel Islands. I really liked the small size of the port, and I was happy with the shots I got. My 60mm never even left the boat as the FOV of the 30mm seemed much more useful.

 

[gert7to3]

Furnari,
Seeing your photos makes me think of Will Smith's character in Men In Black, when he got his hands on one of the exotic alien weapons..."Now that's what I'm talking about"

Just ordered the extender.

 

[Chris Ross]

I just bought the Panasonic 30mm macro for my EM-1 MkII and had it in the water for the first time today. Before taking UW I tried the AF on land - low light it was very snappy, noticeably a little better than the 30mm. Underwater AF was very good and seemed less inclined to lock on floating particles. Allowed me to anything down to half life size or so easily and was ablle to focus on a larger more distant subject readily. As luck would have it I found a very territorial small giant cuttlefish (about 300-400m long) today coming right up close to chase me away and advancing as I backed off to frame him. With the 30mm I was able to grab some nice shots of the behavior, the 60mm would have been way too tight. Seconds before he was quite pale and completely smooth:

 

[Ardy]

Love the shots Furnari and Chris, very encouraging. I will give it a good work out. Still the guide reckons he will find a bumble bee shrimp (he found one last time I was there but lost it) - now that needs the 60mm at closes focus.

Will post a few shots here when I get back in early May.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[tursiops]

I found a very territorial small giant cuttlefish (about 300-400m long) today

Wow! That's really a GIANT cuttlefish! I'd definitely swim away....

 

[Ardy]

Hi Guys, I am in Bali at the moment and just finished in Tulamben and moving to Gili T.

The 30mm has had two of the seven outings and I just love it! it is so easy to use compared to the 60 and anyone starting in macro should look no further than this lens. Fast as and accurate when compared to the focusing of the 60 and the quality is up there. Cannot for the life of me understand why this lens in not flying off the shelves!

All my concerns about this lens where just about gone thanks to you all but the reality of it is something else...

thanks a lot.

 

[Chris Ross]

I used mine again today, is really nice to use. Mine is the Panasonic lens, it is really snappy to focus. Good o see you have had good experience with the lens.

 

[Ardy]

Yes Chris quite a surprise to me. A bit more work in post to get what you want but the images are sharp enough even at a reasonable crop factor. Will post some of my shots soon.